Jiafang Organic Tea Plantation – Half-Day Tea Excursion

Jiafang Organic Tea Plantation is located in Mingfeng Village of Beinan Township. Mingfeng is known for its amazing scenery. You’ll think you’ve arrived in paradise after spending time in this quaint village and the surrounding majestic mountains. From a distance, the rolling hills look like a cozy green blanket made from endless rows of stout tea trees. Chen Lixue’s daughter-in-law made this prosperous tea plantation a reality. Her vision was to grow an indigenous variety of Taiwanese tea naturally. She wanted to cultivate unique-tasting tea that is also nutritious. Her special Taitung tea, which is grown at low elevation, has gone on to garner widespread fame by winning the Shennong Award (a national tea award?). Jiafang Organic Tea Plantation has opened itself up to visitors recently. In 2019, the plantation was awarded its first 特色農業旅遊場域認證 certification.

You love to drink tea, but do you actually know the difference between green tea and black tea? Before you go out and pick your own, there’s a guided tour in which a tea master carefully explains how tea is grown and cured. In layman’s terms, green tea and black tea are different because each has a unique fermentation process. In addition, the average tea plantation has seven harvests a year. The aroma (and flavor) of tea depends on the sunlight, temperature and humidity (of when it was harvested.) The tea making process is also quite demanding. Basically, there are six steps; harvesting, indoor and outdoor curing, fermentation, roasting, kneading and drying. As you can see, a lot goes into making just a single cup of tea!

We’ve got you covered when it comes to getting sunburned and dirty. Throw on one of our bamboo hats and some gloves and you’re good to go! Your transformation into a (weekend) tea farmer is complete right after you tie a wicker tea basket around your waist. Now, you’re ready to head out and see what’s it’s like to be one of the pros. Most of the time, farmers pick two things; the sprouts 新芽 and the youngest leaves. However, expert tea farmers know that the best tea comes from the bud and the closest two leaves. How tea is harvested determines its quality. Pick with care so the tea leaves stay intact and they keep their flavor. Also, you don’t need to worry about coming in contact with harmful chemicals while picking your tea. The tea here isn’t grown with chemical fertilizers or sprayed with pesticides. You might even see different types of insects on the trees such as leafhoppers, crickets and praying mantis. A day at Jiafang Organic Tea Plantation is a great way for people who live in town to get back in touch with nature.

After you’re done in the fields, head back to our kitchen for your hand at making some tea inspired cuisine.

Green Tea Elixir – The process starts by juicing freshly-washed tea leaves. Then, we put in some plum and honey to finish off this one-of-a-kind drink that’s sweet and refreshing. Also, you can rest assured that our organically grown tea doesn’t have any leftover pesticide residue.

Tea Flavored Cookies- First, make a batter of powdered tea leaves, egg and flour. Then, pour the batter onto the flat iron part of our cookie maker. Finally, use a stainless steel rod to quickly curl up the cooked batter. Now, all you have to do is enjoy your crispy and delicious hand-made cookies!

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